


you blush like an ocean in love

by themetgayla



Category: Ocean's (Movies), Ocean’s 8 (2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Fluff, Growing Up, Hurt/Comfort, Mild descriptions of violence, but not yet, debbie cries i’m sorry, drunk!lou, mentions of child abuse, they will kiss eventually, they're cute as kids aw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-12 00:03:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15327345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themetgayla/pseuds/themetgayla
Summary: Lou pulls away after a minute, sensing that Debbie’s starting to get uncomfortable — if the subtle squirming is anything to go by. The blonde steps back and beams, her eyes like sapphires in the warm afternoon sun. “I’d love to be your friend,” Lou mumbles as a dusty pink blush blooms on her pale cheeks.





	1. one

**Author's Note:**

> writing this five part fic upon my girlfriend's request. i hope you all enjoy it!

When Debbie Ocean — she simply refuses to even acknowledge that her name is Deborah — first sees Lou Miller, she doesn’t quite know what to think. Her teacher tells the class that she’s moved all the way from Australia, and that they should be nice to her because “America is a very big and strange place”.

Debbie thinks Mrs Brown is an idiot.

During the first few weeks of term, Debbie watches Lou. She watches her in class as she paints, smashing her small fingers into the dollops of acrylic and smearing it all up her arms and legs, the mix of colours creating a sort of rainbow kaleidoscope Debbie thinks is rather pretty. The brunette watches Lou in the playground as she runs up and down with Amita and Constance, her head tipping back as she laughs, the sound bright and simply  _ captivating.  _ Debbie also watches Lou as she eats, stuffing her perfectly cut ham sandwiches into her mouth, chomping on them ungracefully as she whispers to Daphne and gives Leslie — or Nine Ball, as she insists she’s called — a fist bump.

Debbie doesn’t know what to do.  _ She  _ wants to be there with Lou, laughing, talking, sharing food. She wants Lou to be friends with  _ her _ , not  _ them.  _ (Debbie actually quite likes Constance; she always steals her brother’s food and brings it to school. Daphne always knows the latest gossip, Amita always gives her gifts for no reason, and Leslie tells her about her mom’s adventures while travelling the world. She just doesn’t like them  _ stealing  _ Lou from her.)

Watching Lou Miller makes Debbie’s stomach churn, and her heart constrict. She’s  _ seven _ , for God’s sake, but she thinks she may just be in love. Debbie knows all about love from her father — he says it’s a cruel, unforgiving beast that rips away everything you love most, and swallows you whole — but she doesn’t think he’s right. If he was, watching Lou, being around Lou, even thinking about Lou, wouldn't make her so inexplicably happy.

So happy she almost forgets about the bruises covering her back like splattered paint, cuts and scars carved like trenches into her soft skin. So happy she thinks that perhaps another beating from her father isn’t so bad. So happy she actually has  _ hope _ . (And she hasn’t had that in a long, long time.)

But Debbie doesn’t know what to do about her newfound crush on Lou. She scolds herself for not being able to just match up to the blonde and let the words tumble from her lips. But  _ no _ , as soon as she even  _ thinks  _ about admitting her feelings, her stomach flips and her heart aches.

She’s too young for heartbreak, right?

So Debbie does what any seven year old would do; she cries. She cries and cries and cries. (But only in secret, never in front of anyone. Never.  _ Ocean’s don’t cry, Deborah. Pull yourself together. _ )

After three days of going to school with suspiciously blotchy cheeks and puffy eyes, Debbie decides she has to do something to handle her crush on Lou. And since she can’t just walk up to the girl and tell her much she likes her, Debbie decides that her only option is getting Lou to leave.

It takes the brunette just five minutes to come up with the perfect way to get Lou to leave. She sits down at her desk, skinny legs tucked up underneath her, and pulls out a pad and pencil. She’s not brilliant at writing — it looks more like a drunk spider has crawled all over the page than actual words — but she manages to pencil out a short but direct message to Lou.

_ Get out of my school. _

Debbie thinks it’s perfect. And so the next day, she drops the folded paper into Lou’s rucksack and springs away, hoping it’ll be found.

* * *

“Why did you write this?”

Debbie spins round, eyes snapping up from the stick she’s sharpening with the small pocket knife her father pushed into her hand when she was six. (She’s never hurt anyone with it, not after watching her father ram a carving knife into her mother’s head after one of their daily screaming matches. She’d died there and then, and Debbie had vowed to never, ever hurt anyone.)

Lou is standing behind her, the small scrap of paper clutched in her grasp, her lips pulled down in a slight frown. The disappointment and hurt filling her bright blue eyes makes Debbie’s heart ache, because it’s clear the blonde is upset.  _ Stupid stupid stupid.  _ Tucking her knife into her pocket, Debbie pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and chews on it aggressively, trying desperately to work out what she’s going to say.

“I— I was jealous.” Debbie’s honest, despite being a littl devil when it comes to lying. She doesn’t know what else to say, and Lou certainly won’t want to be her friend if the first thing she does is  _ lie _ . Danny always tells her to be honest, even though their father has drilled the art of lying into them ever since they were just four years old.

Lou frowns, because that _ definitely  _ wasn’t what she expected Debbie to say. The blonde watches as the other girl fiddles with the hem of her faux leather jacket nervously, her fingers skimming over the soft material quickly. Fear swims in Debbie’s dark eyes, interrupted by the golden flecks of hope smattered across the hazel orbs.

Tugging the sleeve of her flannel shirt, Lou lets her lips curve upwards into a shy smile, her straight pearly teeth glinting as she eyes Debbie. Is this what love feels like? Lou thinks so.

But then she realises she hasn’t actually said anything, and Debbie is getting increasingly more nervous, her bottom lip quivering slightly as she fists her jacket. “What? Of who?” Lou asks, stepping closer to the brunette, her eyes twinkling kindly as she stuffs her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

“Your friends. I want to be your friend.” Debbie swallows the tears that threaten to well up in her eyes and pushes her shoulders back.  _ Confidence is key, Deborah. Never forget that. _

A wide smile immediately stretches across Lou’s lips, and she launches forwards, wrapping her skinny arms around Debbie’s bony shoulders. She presses her nose into the brunette’s wavy hair and inhales vanilla and cinnamon as she pulls the girl closer to her body. Debbie goes rigid as Lou touches her, and for a moment, the blonde fears she’s going to be pushed away, but then the brunette relaxes, and winds her arms around Lou’s waist, squeezing her tightly. 

Lou pulls away after a minute, sensing that Debbie’s starting to get uncomfortable — if the subtle squirming is anything to go by. The blonde steps back and beams, her eyes like sapphires in the warm afternoon sun.“I’d love to be your friend,” Lou mumbles as a dusty pink blush blooms on her pale cheeks.

Debbie thinks that writing that letter was possibly the best decision she ever made.


	2. two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here’s the next chapter! i rushed to finish this a little, because i wanted it to be done before i meet my girlfriend for the first time in six hours. i hope you all like it!

Hey, wanna skip class?” Lou turns around in surprise, because it’s normally her that suggests bunking and hiding round the back of the school to smoke, not Debbie. Despite the brunette’s fierce streak, she’s strangely studious, and has admitted a grand total of  _ once _ , that she actually enjoys some of her classes.

Lou had just laughed and called her a nerd, to which Debbie had very confidently given her the middle finger, right in front of a teacher. Mr Williams had turned a blind eye, despite the _ no swearing _ policy the school insisted they followed. 

Everyone knows not to mess with Debbie Ocean.

Tucking her soft hair behind her ear, Lou smirks at her best friend. “Are you feeling okay? Not in the mood for some fun Biology?” Debbie sticks her tongue out petulantly, and reaches out to slap Lou playfully on the arm, unable to help the giggle that slips from her lips as the blonde feigns hurt and clutches her bicep, bright eyes wide.

Debbie wraps her slim fingers around Lou’s wrist and tugs her aside, so their shoulders are pressed into the metal lockers in the corridor. People rush past them; some clutching books to their chests, braces peeking out between chapped lips; some strolling along, mouths moving rapidly as they spill all the lunchtime gossip. But they all make sure not to bash into the duo stood against the lockers, taking care to give them some space.

Lips curling into a gentle smirk, Debbie peaks up at Lou through her long lashes, and pulls her closer. She presses her mouth to the blonde’s ear and whispers, her voice soft and husky, “I want to take you somewhere.” Lou shudders as the scent of cinnamon invades her sense, Debbie’s breath hot against her skin. It’s practically sinful.

Grinning at Debbie, Lou curls her tongue and pushes her gum into a bubble, letting the brunette reach out and pop it with one of her suspiciously blunt nails. “Then let’s go,” the blonde says, snapping the minty gum around in her mouth. At the confirmation, Debbie reaches down and laces her fingers with Lou’s, already turning and leading her away down the corridor.

* * *

They’ve been walking for roughly twenty minutes when Lou turns to Debbie, her bright eyes filled with mild confusion. “Where the hell are you taking me, Ms Ocean?” It’s not that she doesn’t trust Debbie — she does, more than she’s ever trusted anyone in her life. She trusts Debbie with her  _ life  _ — but she’d rather know where she’s walking to.

It’s not like she’d be sitting in Biology right now, because she hasn’t been to a single lesson of that stupid subject since the beginning of the year. But she could be smoking right now, or perhaps munching on some Cheetos, but  _ no _ ; she’s walking to god knows where with Debbie.

“You’ll see,” Debbie says slyly, digging around in her pockets to find the emergency stash of skittles she always keeps in there. Lou remembers stealing the last pack right from Debbie’s hands just last week, starting a playful fight that had ended up with both girls sprawled out on top of each other, chests heaving, eyes sparkling with love and affection. Lou had watched Debbie leave through her bedroom window, had watched as the brunette spun around and shot her one last smile, her rosy cheeks glowing in the pale light of the quiet street.

“My feet hurt,” Lou complains, her voice tinged with a false whine that alerts Debbie that the blonde is lying through her teeth. 

“Shut up, you weakling.”

Lou pouts, snatching the packet of skittles from the brunette’s grasp and pouring a an ample — some would say greedy — amount into her mouth.

The wind swirls gently around them, sweeping the array of brightly coloured leaves scattered across the gravel off the ground. Thin tendrils of Debbie’s hair brush around her face, obscuring her vision as they stroll peacefully down the quiet streets.

Lou thinks the way Debbie reaches up to push her soft her from her face is adorable; the slight pout as her hair darts into her slightly open mouth, the elegant movement of her slim fingers as she tucks the strands of hair behind her ears, the way the sun beams down at her, casting a golden halo around her head, illuminating the calm expression in her hazel eyes. (There’s something else there too, an look Lou can’t quite figure out.)

And then suddenly it’s all too much.

“You’re so freaking adorable,” Lou blurts, unable to stop the affectionately spoken words tumbling from her lips. Debbie whips her head to the side before Lou even has a chance to  _ blink _ , her eyes impossibly wide with surprise. The blonde doesn’t know what she’s expecting her best friend to say — it’s the first time either of them have said anything remotely this soft and  _ sappy _ .

A pale blush blooms across Debbie’s cheeks, spreading rapidly down her neck and onto her chest, disappearing beneath the hem of her flannel shirt. The brunette ducks her head, avoiding Lou’s gaze as she speeds up her pace.

Lou strides forward to keep up with her, her bright cerulean eyes twinkling with affectionate amusement. “Are you  _ blushing _ ?”

“What? No!” Debbie protests defensively, shoving her hands deep into her pockets, clenching and unclenching her fingers into tight fists as she does so. Lou smirks disbelievingly and nudges the brunette playfully with her shoulder.

“Did  _ I  _ get the ever-stoic, hardcore, badass Debbie Ocean to  _ blush _ ?” Lou teases, her mouth stretched into a wide grin.

“No! It’s—It’s the cold.” Debbie’s eyebrows crease into a frown as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth and chews on it aggressively. Her cheeks flush further under Lou’s intense scrutiny, the silence hanging between them as the brunette’s eyelashes kiss her lightly freckles skin. Lou hasn’t noticed the marks splattered across Debbie’s cheekbones before, and all of a sudden they jump out at her, golden freckles against latte skin.

Snapping herself out of her trance, Lou clears her throat and tears her gaze away from Debbie’s sharply angled jawline and smooth neck. (An expanse of skin she just wants to sink her teeth into and—).

Lou shakes her head clear of her less-than-innocent thoughts and flicks her gaze back to Debbie, who’s still got her chin tucked into her chest and her eyes fixed religiously to the floor. “Just the cold, really? Are you sure it’s not because I told you that you were adorable?”

When Lou’s soft voice, tinged with her Australian lilt, shatters the fragile silence, Debbie dares to look up, her thick eyelashes fluttering rapidly. “N-No,” she mumbles, her voice cracking as the blush painted across her skin deepens.

“Are you sure, honey?” Lou stops and turns to face her best friend, who reluctantly slows her pace until she comes to a stop. Smirking gently, the blonde reaches out and laces her milky fingers with Debbie’s, tugging her closer until the tips of their shoes are touching, hot breaths mingling together.

“No,” Debbie whispers softly, raising her eyes to meet Lou’s, her dark chocolate eyes sparkling with uncertainty and something Lou can’t quite put her finger on. It’s familiar; that same look is present in Debbie’s eyes almost constantly, there, but not quite bold enough to reach out and drag Lou in with it.

Lou’s surprised at the brunette’s soft, hesitant admittance, because she  _ never  _ shows any kind of weakness. Yet here she is, ripping her rib cage to pieces just to show the blonde her bright red heart uncaged, in its raw beauty.

And then it hits her.

She loves Debbie Ocean. Of course, she’d always known, ever since they met at the tender age of seven, exchanging warm hugs in the playground, pressing innocent kisses to cheeks and picking flowers for the other. But it seems as though the feelings had been pushed away in her early teenage years, labelled purely as the platonic love one should feel for their best friend. But Lou knows it’s not that.

Lou knows she’s in love with Debbie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know what you think! comments make me happy :’)


	3. three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i managed to write the next chapter of this while stuck at a christian camp; i hope you enjoy it!

When Debbie opts out of going to the wild party Lou describes, she assumes that will be the end of it. She thinks that she’ll be able to relax — to some extent — in the tiny, admittedly dingy, apartment she shares with Lou in the middle of New York, and catch up on the new episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine she’s missed. (She likes to wonder if Jake and Amy would be able to catch her and Lou; the real NYPD certainly aren’t doing a good job.)

What Debbie doesn’t expect, is to receive a call at ass o’clock in the morning from one of Lou’s crazy, practically underage friends, telling her that just  _ has  _ to come and get Lou  _ right now.  _ Despite wanting to do nothing more than curl back up on the lumpy couch and cocoon herself in the only soft blanket they own — plus, it smells of Lou’s Old Spice cologne and vaguely of the vanilla shampoo she uses religiously — Debbie pulls herself up and stumbles across the apartment, frantically scraping her tangled waves back into something resembling a messy bun. (So what if it looks like a dishevelled birds nest?)

The brunette yanks on her coat and new stolen sneakers, grabbing her car keys as she flings open the door and rushes down the stairs, almost tripping over her feet in her haste to save Lou from God knows what.

After speeding rather dangerously down the highway for twenty minutes to the address a girl — Marissa, Debbie thinks her name is — had texted her, Debbie arrives at what she guesses is the party. She parks haphazardly on the side of the road and practically falls out of the car, clutching the thin trench coat around her slim waist as she runs to the front door and throws her body at it. She nearly falls flat on her face, because of  _ course  _ it’s already unlocked. God, what kind of party has Lou got herself into?

The heat hits Debbie like a wave as soon as she regains her footing and raises her head, the smell of alcohol, sweat and sex clinging to her, enveloping her until she can barely breathe. Fighting the urge to dive to the side and throw up in the nearest trash cab, Debbie pushes desperately through the masses of drunk, gyrating bodies, her gaze flitting around the room as she searches for shaggy blonde hair and those piercing blue eyes she knows so well.

(Debbie’s embarrassed to admit how many times she’s caught herself transfixed, gazing into Lou’s ocean eyes as they talk, watching the silver flecks dance as her soft lips move perfectly in rhythm.)

And then she sees Lou. And her heart  _ breaks _ .

The slim blonde is pushed up against a wall, her head thrown pack as a boy — some ugly kid with the greasiest moist brown hair Debbie has ever seen — attacks her smooth neck.

She watches, her heart splintering and cracking into millions of tiny shards as the boy drags his wet lips down to her jaw and begins biting harshly.what hurts the most, is that Lou told her she was gay.  _ Gay _ . And here she is, allowing herself to be kissed by  _ him. _

But then Debbie freezes, and she really  _ looks _ . Something seems off, something the brunette can’t quite put her finger on. She scans Lou’s face intently, her hazel eyes sharpening as she reluctantly absorbs the image of Lou being kissed by someone else, someone that’s not her.

Suddenly she sees it.

Debbie can see the way Lou’s eyes are closed a little too tightly, as if squeezed together in something akin to pain. The brunette wonders if she’s just imagining things, wishing that Lou wasn’t enjoying herself with some random dude. But then the blonde’s lip curls up in the way it does when she’s uncomfortable, and Debbie knows her suspicions are right.

The brunette is moving forwards before she really knows what she’s doing, red clouding her vision, falling like a veil in front of her darkened eyes. She pushes people out of her way violently, ignoring the yelps and surprised cries as drinks go flying and people fall into each other, their intoxication rendering them unable to support themselves. All Debbie can see is that greasy boy’s mouth on  _ her  _ Lou’s neck, and she needs to help her best friend  _ now _ .

As soon as she comes up behind the boy, Debbie fists his shirt and yanks him backwards, drawing a terrified cry from his mouth. He brunette grips his shoulder and spins him around, digging her fingers into his skin as hard as she can. Keeping one eye on Lou, who’s still leaning against the wall, her forehead glistening with sweat, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, Debbie swings her fist back and punched the boy, grimacing in satisfaction as she feels his nose crack under her knuckles, and blood begins pouring from it. He staggers backwards, clutching his nose, and glares angrily at Debbie, who’s trying to ignore the painful throbbing in her hand.

She lunges forwards and wraps her fingers around the boy’s neck, wincing as a sharp pain courses through her veins. “Don’t you dare lay a hand on her  _ ever again _ ,” she snarls, her eyes blazing with pure fury. He nods frantically, his eyes wide with horror as blood gushes steadily from his nose.

As soon as he stumbles away, groaning in pain, Debbie throws herself at Lou, hands skimming over her upper body, checking for any obvious injuries. Lou looks like she might just pass out any second — her eyes are half closed, and her body is slumped lazily against the wall, her long legs barely supporting her.

“Lou, baby, are you okay?” Debbie doesn’t even realise the pet name has slipped out until Lou nods sleepily, her eyelids fluttering as she opens her mouth to speak.

The blonde clears her throat — or tries to — and opens her eyes fully. Debbie’s heart clenches as she watches Lou flick her gaze around, her glassy eyes unfocused and shimmering from the alcohol. It’s clear she’s absolutely  _ wasted _ . “Thank you Debs, I love you,” Lou slurs, her lips barely moving as her legs give way beneath her. Debbie finds herself diving forwards instinctively, catching Lou’s lithe body in her arms before she topples to the floor.

She guides Lou through the throngs of people on autopilot, her heart beating wildly in her ribcage as Lou’s words echo around her head. _ I love you _ . Is she being serious? Is she just joking? Are they words spoken purely out of intoxication?  _ I love you. _ Debbie doesn’t know. and she’s goddamn  _ desperate  _ to find out.

* * *

It takes Debbie a good ten minutes to drag Lou’s crumpled form out of her car and up the stairs to their apartment. Luckily Lou is lighter than she anticipated, and she managed to make it up the rickety staircase with the blonde’s arm slung around her shoulders, her smooth face pressed rather intimately into her neck, those soft pale, lips warm against Debbie’s flushed expanse of skin. She tries not to think about Lou’s hot breath ghosting across her chest, and the adorable way her messy bangs fall across her eyes, obscuring her half-lidded vision.

Debbie clumsily unlocks the door, cursing silently under her breath as her grip on Lou slips, and the blonde sways into her, falling into her cleavage. Groaning — because of _ course  _ something like this would happen — Debbie hauls Lou upright and drags her over the threshold, pausing briefly to kick the door shut.

Huffing and moaning under her breath, Debbie manages to half-carry Lou into their shared bedroom, trying desperately to focus on looking after the love of her life and getting her into bed. “Mmm,” Lou mumbles, her lips barely moving as topples onto the bed and pushes her face into the memory foam mattress. “Debbie,” Lou continues, “so damn pretty.”

The brunette gasps harshly, her breath catching in her breath as she stares dumbly at her best friend, who’s now sprawled out across the bed, her heart thinking painfully in her chest. Did she hear that right? Did Lou really say that?  _ I love you _ . Is Lou being serious?  _ So damn pretty. _

Debbie doesn’t know what what the fuck to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> let me know what you think! :))


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’m back! i had to take a short break from writing this as my girlfriend broke up with me, and i’ve been up visiting a friend for the past week. i thought this would have five chapters, but i think i’ve wrapped everything up in four. i hope you enjoy it!
> 
> (and if you have _any_ prompts, leave them in the comments or send them to me on tumblr @louiseocean)

Debbie’s bedroom is bright when she wakes; sunlight is filtering gently through the tiny slither in the curtains, casting the room in a soft peachy glow. She squints and slams her eyelids shut again, not quite ready to deal with the light just yet. Sighing softly, Debbie moves to roll over and relieve the painful pressure in her shoulder — it happens  _ every fucking night  _ — and bury her head back in the plush cotton of her stolen pillowcase.

But when the brunette rolls over and presses her face into what she assumes is her pillow, her lips parted slightly, she finds herself jerking back, a clump of hair in her mouth. Blinking blearily, Debbie reluctantly adjusts to the bright light of her bedroom and snaps her gaze to the lump lying motionless my next to her in the large, sadly not stolen, bed.

Debbie’s first instinct is to panic, because  _ who wouldn’t _ , but then her vision slowly swims into focus, and she notices the messy mop of blonde hair poking out from the top of the thick duvet.  _ Oh thank god. It’s only Lou.  _ For a moment, Debbie wonders what the fuck her best friend and secret love of her life is doing slumbering next to her in bed, dead to the world, but then  _ I love you  _ and  _ so damn pretty  _ come flooding back to her. The brunette can’t help the sharp gasp that leaves her mouth when she recalls saving Lou from the club and helping her into bed.

(Oh, and avoiding her very handset attempted at initiating some sort of sexual contact between them.  _ God _ , it was hard, but Debbie would  _ never  _ take advantage of Lou, no matter how much she might want to.)

Pushing herself up onto one elbow, Debbie reaches up and runs her hand through her tangled mane of dark hair, wincing as her fingers get caught on a particularly big knot. She’s about to swing her legs over the bed and make herself a much needed cup of strong black coffee, when she feels a heavy limb land on her stomach, curling unconsciously around her wadis, trapping her.

Releasing a short puff of breath from between her lips, Debbie lets her head fall back against her pillow, her body moving involuntarily closer to Lou’s. Debbie can feel the heat radiating off the yu ger woman — she’s always been a warm person, constantly grumbling about the New York summers and how hard the apartment is to cool down.

(Debbie is the complete opposite — she’s always got a pair of thick, fluffy socks on, always whining about the cool air blasting through the vents in the loft, attempting to turn up the temperature when Lou isn’t looking. She never gets away with it though; Lou can somehow tell when the temperature has changed, even if it’s only by one degree. It pissss Debbie off to no end.)

With a muffled sigh, Lou rolls over lazily and buries her head into the crook of Debbie’s neck, her hot breath ghosting gently across the brunette’s smooth skin. Debbie shivers, the tension in her shoulders sweeping away as she wraps an arm protectively around Lou’s upper body.

Debbie lets her eyelids flutter shut as she allows the warmth to envelop her and sleep invade her senses. She doesn’t even know what tine it is when she lets herself drift back to sleep, Lou nuzzled into her body.

* * *

An hour later, Debbie’s eyes flutter open once more, her lips curving upwards into a lazy smile, relishing in the warmth surrounding her, wrapping her in a comforting blanket of safety. Groaning quietly under her breath, Debbie lets her eyes flutter open and she turns her head to the side, expecting to see Lou sprawled out next to her,hair fanned out on the pillow. Instead, she sees an empty bed, the sheet wrinkled from where Lou’s been lying all night. Eyes widening suddenly, Debbie bolts upright in bed, her heart thumping painfully in her rib cage.  _ Has Lou left? Does she remember last night? Did the memories freak her out? _

Swallowing thickly, Debbie slides off the bed and pads across the room, chewing anxiously on her bottom lip. Tugging on a strand of hair — a nervous tic she can’t quite get rid of — Debbie wraps her arms around her waist and clutches her loose shirt in her clenched fists.

When she’s greeed with silence, Debbie begins to panic; fear creeps up her throat, choking her as she grabs onto the banister with trembling hands. Tears pricking in her eyes, the brunette stumbles into the kitchen and hauls herself onto one of the stools at the island. Lou really  _ has  _ gone. There’s no trance of her anywhere.  _ Fuck, now you really screwed up. Where the hell would she go?  _ Debbie knows Lou doesn’t get hangovers, no matter how fucking drunk she gets, which means she could be  _ anywhere _ .

Debbie drops her head into her hands and frowns, tears sliding down her cheeks. A wave of nausea rolls over her, and bile rises in her throat as she thumps her head down on the counter, sighing with a twisted sense of relief at the sudden sharp pain that radiates through her skill, forcing her to grit her teeth to bite back the strangled cry threatening to slip from her mouth.

Debbie’s ready to give up all hope — her slender frame wracks with sibs as guilt rips and tears at her stomach, her heart aching painfully — when the door to the apartment opens, and Lou strolls through, a brown grocery bag clutched in one hand, and a freshly baked baguette tucked under her arm.

As soon as she sees the thick tears dripping down the brunette’s cheeks, Lou drops the bags on the floor and throws herself forwards. She gathers Debbie in her arms and wraps her up in her warm embrace, whispering sweet words of comfort, one hand stroking absently through her best friend’s long, dark hair. “Oh baby, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“I-I thought y-you left,” Debbie admits, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Lou steps backwards in surprise, her expression contorting into one of hurt and sorrow. Debbie bows her head shamefully, digging her blunt nails into the palm of her hand, creating tiny red crescents in the pale skin.

Blinking rapidly, Lou tries to wrap her head around the notion of leaving the love of her life, unable to fathom the discomfort and pure heartbreak it brings her. How could Debbie ever think she’d do such a thing? “Debbie, sweetie, I’d never. You— You know that, right? I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.” Lou’s voice is soft and hushed, and though she’s revealing her deepest secrets.

(She supposes she is, really. She’s never been open with Debbie about her feeljngs, for fear of rejection, but for some reason, it just feels  _ right _ .)

Debbie nods emphatically into the crook of Lou’s neck, her sobs slowing into soft hiccups as she clutches the younger woman tightly, unwilling to loosen her grip. “I do know, but you scared me, especially after— after last night.”

“Last night?”

In a split second, Debbie’s heart sinks to the bottom of her stomach, and she jerks from Lou’s comforting embrace. “You don’t remember?” If Lou doesn’t remember, does that mean— “You don’t remember telling me you love me?” Debbie can’t push the hurt from her tone, angry at herself for believing, even for a  _ second _ , that Lou really does love her.  _ You stupid fool. Why did you even assume she likes you? _

Lou’s face falls, her startling blue eyes clouding over with clesr panic. “I did? Shit, I— Look, I’m sorry. I was drunk and it just slipped out. I really am sorry, so sorry, and—”

“So you didn’t mean it?”

“No, I— Wait, yes, I did—” Lou scrambles, tripping over her words as they tumble uncontrollably from her mouth. She’s it off when Debbie surges forwards, her hands sliding up to cradle Lou’s cheeks in her palms, her thumbs stroking over her sharp cheekbones with care.

Before Lou really knows what’s going on, Debbie leans forwards and presses their lips together gently, her tongue running over the blonde’s bottom lip, begging for entrance. Debbie smiles into the kiss as their tongues dance together, moving as one like a ballroom dance. The brunette presses herself into Lou’s body, relishing in the younger woman’s warm, welcoming embrace.

Love fills Debbie’s heart as their lips glide together, the feeling suddenly overwhelming as she slots her thigh between Lou’s legs. Panting heavily, she pulls away, and stares up at the blonde through sparkling chocolate orbs.

“I love you,” she murmurs.

**Author's Note:**

> please let me know what you thought :)  
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